


One Path To The End

by DaraOakwise



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Because the wait is killing me, Cheers have a fic, Gen, Speculative possible ending for The Timeless Children, Yep confirmed completely AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaraOakwise/pseuds/DaraOakwise
Summary: A short and completely and utterly speculative fic about the possible end of The Timeless Children, sure to be completely AU by tomorrow. But something to read in the mean time.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	One Path To The End

“This changes _everything_ , Doctor,” the Master hissed, triumphant in his reveal. Neither one of them was Gallifreyan. Not Time Lords. They were eternal, undying, as was their birthright as the Timeless Children and _he_ had rained vengeance down on Gallifrey, final payment for their many desecrations. For daring to steal eternal life.

The Doctor stared down at her hands, then up again at the Master, her eyes sparkling with relieved wonder. “This changes _nothing_ ,” she whispered, and the Master frowned at the utter joy in her voice. “ _Nothing!”_

The Doctor rubbed her hands together slowly. “Do you remember that time on Skaro? The trap, built by Davros to channel regeneration energy into the Daleks. The Time Lords have that too, built into their DNA.” The Doctor ran her fingers over the dust on the table, the mighty chamber of the council of the Time Lords, coated in the pulverized remains of a species. Gallifreyan cells, twined with the stolen power of the Timeless Children, trying to regenerate, even now. One massive push, from an apparently infinite source inside her...

“And they haven’t been dead very long!” the Doctor murmured, and looked up at her ancient friend. “Did you ever count them, after you killed them? Because I did. Twice.”

“No!” The Master cried, understanding. “You can’t. Not after what they did to us!”

The Doctor stepped forward and cupped his face. “All those years in the vault, my dear. All I ever wanted to show you was that love was a promise, and kindness a choice.” She stepped back, and shook her hands out at the wrists, regeneration energy growing. “I’m the Doctor, and I save people,” she cried out, and turned her burning gaze to the Master. “It changes nothing. I’m the Doctor, and always will be,” she continued softly. “Run, my dear. They will be so angry with you.” 

Around them, the dust moved, standing. And the Master screamed at the sky, vibrating in rage, then turned and ran.

“Step back,” the Doctor who had been known as Ruth commanded sharply to the humans, who were looking on in horror. “Back, back, back.”

In front them, the Doctor dropped to her knees, and looked up at her friends. “Oh,” she gasped, “this _really_ hurts,” and burst into living flames which radiated out across the ground, the planet. She groaned, the Timeless Child lifting the Children of Gallifrey, forgiving them for the sins and atrocities their ancestors had slashed so brutally across her endless life; and the dust congealed—billions of voices screaming together, the last breaths of their lives fusing into the first breaths of their rebirth.

And then it was over. The Doctor looked up, smoking faintly and panting in agony, a feral and dangerous smile on her face. And the High Council of the Time Lords looked down at her, alive and very afraid. Her human friends stepped forward, aching to sooth her pain, but the other Doctor grabbed them. Not safe, not yet.

“Always with the stupid hats,” the Doctor told the Time Lords fondly, and collapsed to the ground.


End file.
